Question

If a router is unable to locate a matching destination network inside of their routing table, what will it do by default with the received packet?

1) Drop
2) Forward
3) Route
4) Broadcast

Answer 1

By default, a router will drop a packet if it cannot find a matching destination network in its routing table. Without a known route or a default route configured, the router cannot forward the packet.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a router receives a packet but cannot find a matching destination network in its routing table, by default the router will drop the packet. Routers are designed to route packets to known networks. If there is no known route, the router cannot forward or route the packet correctly.

This behavior is a fundamental part of network routing, ensuring that only packets with a clear path to their destination are transmitted across a network. Some networks may configure a default route (often referred to as a "default gateway") that specifies where to send packets if no specific route is found; however, in the absence of such a configuration, the router will not attempt to broadcast or forward the packet based on its default behavior.